Teaching Text Structure & More

Kristi Orcutt Secondary Literacy Specialist kristio@essdack.org http://literacyleader.com/ 620-663-9566 - office 620-694-7561 - cell

©Kristi Orcutt, kristio@essdack.org

Expository Text

“Informational text is the most complicated type of nonfiction because the purposes are so varied. The purpose of informational text dictates the structure. Not all informational texts have the same structure.”

- Buss & Karnowski, Reading & Writing Nonfiction Genres

1. Text Type/ Author’s Purpose 2. Text Structures 3. Text Features

What’s difficult for students?

Text Type/ Author’s Purpose

Why might it be important for readers to understand an author’s purpose?

What might be confusing about identifying author’s purpose / text type?

Text Type/Author’s Purpose:

Confusion & Reality •  TWO major text types - fiction and nonfiction -

have been re-categorized as FOUR •  Author may have had more than one purpose in

mind •  Engaging text often contains multiple text

types •  Students are not often asked to compare or

label text types •  Students are not generally asked to identify

and analyze the author’s purpose - only to read to gain knowledge

Text Type/ Author’s Purpose

Text Type/Author’s Purpose:

Possible Confusions

BOTH narrative and expository elements in the SAME passage!

Raising Royal Treasure Bit by bit, divers are recovering pieces of Cleopatra’s lost palace.

It’s a tale full of romance, sneaky tricks, tragedy, and most of all, girl power. On top of that, it’s true. The real-life story of Cleopatra, who was a beautiful 17-year-old girl when she became the powerful ruler of ancient Egypt, has fascinated people for thousands of years. Dozens of plays, books, and movies have told of her quest for power and love. Now new information about Cleopatra’s life is coming to the surface. Parts of her ancient royal court have been found near Alexandria, Egypt—under water!

Finding a Lost Island Ancient Egyptian writings and drawings show that Cleopatra

owned a royal palace on an island named Antirhodos (An-teer-uh-dose). The island was near Alexandria, the capital city of Egypt during Cleopatra’s reign in the first century B.C. …

Sounds like a narrative!

Looks like expository!

Narrative or Expository?

Use a WIDE ANGLE Lens -Overall, how much is narrative and

how much is expository?

-Is the narrative just there to “hook” and engage readers, while most of the passage is expository?

-If you looked at the passage from a few feet away, could you tell if it was narrative or expository?

Narrative or Expository?

More Confusion

Technical and persuasive texts are ALSO expository!

Expository

Persuasive Technical

Recipe provides

information (expository)

It’s also TECHNICAL & gives steps

to follow

Ad gives facts about

smoking (expos.)

It’s also PERSUASIVE - So people will

not start / will stop smoking

Read the article in your handouts, “Pressure at the Pump”

What is the text type/ author’s purpose?

Expository, Technical, or Persuasive?

Expository? If Yes…

Check to see if it is ALSO technical or persuasive.

If passage is more than one type - choose the most specific category. • Expository AND technical = TECHNICAL

• Expository AND persuasive = PERSUASIVE

ZOOM lens!

Questions to Identify Persuasive Text

1. Are TWO sides presented? (Then, YES it is persuasive!)

If NOT… 2. Is there another side/perspective?

– Whose story is being told? – Whose story is NOT being told?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the things the writer would like you to believe? Why?

How will YOU help students identify and understanding author’s purpose?

What are Text Structures?

Organizational patterns in writing -Description -Sequence -Problem and Solution -Cause and Effect -Comparison and Contrast

Why is it important that readers can recognize and understand text structures?

(Besides that it’s on the state assessment!)

Text Structures

Pencils Down! Analyze the following image.

You will be asked to reproduce this in a moment…

You have one minute to draw!

You have one minute to draw!

17766024365911

Write the number from memory!

American Revolution / Declaration of Independence

Let’s try again but think . . .

Minutes / hours / days

Emergency

1776 60-24-365

911

What does this have to do with

READING?

The better a reader understands text structures, the higher the comprehension

Understanding text structures is

the KEY to unlocking

expository text!!

Expository Text has NO PLOT LINE to Support Comprehension

Resolution

Middle

End

Climax

Exposition Beginning

Text Structure Research

“Many students experience problems comprehending expository text….One reason is that they can’t see the basic structure of the text. Some students get lost in the words and can’t see the big picture.”

Dymock, 1998; Dymock & Nicholson, 1999

Teaching students to recognize common text structures can help students monitor their own comprehension.

Text Structure Research

What do students need to be able to do on the state assessment? •  Identify the five types of text structures

– Sequence, description, cause & effect, compare & contrast, problem & solution

•  Analyze how text structure supports comprehension of the text

•  Compare and contrast information in one or more texts

•  Explain cause and effect relationships

What will the questions look like?

•  The author uses compare and contrast (or other text structure) as the main text structure of the passage to…

•  How are ____ and ____ similar (or different)? •  The second ___ was different from the first

___ because… •  What was the cause of the ...? •  How did ___ effect ____? •  What would probably happen if….?

*All five text structures are tested on Kansas Reading Assessment C.Simoneau, K.Orcutt, T.Konrade © ESSDACK Side 1

Structure Definition Signal Words Graphic Organizers Summary Questions Paragraph Frames

Description

The author

explains a topic, idea, person, place,

or thing by listing characteristics,

features, and examples.

Focus is on one thing and its components.

For example

Characteristics are Such as Looks like

Consists of For instance Most important

*Look for topic word (or synonym) to be

repeated throughout the text.

Concept Map

What specific person, place, thing, event, or

concept is being described? How is the topic described? (How does it

work? What does it do? What does it look like? Etc.)

What are the most important attributes or characteristics?

How can the topic be classified? (For example, a robin can be classified as a type of bird.)

A ________ is a type of _________. It is made

up of ____________ and looks like

___________. Some ________ have

_________ such as _________. For example,

_____________.

______ has several characteristics. One characteristic is _______. Another is ___,

which is important because ___________.

Sequence

The author lists items or events in numerical or

chronological order.

Describes the order of events or how to do or

make something.

First, second, third Next Then, after

Before, prior to Not long after While, meanwhile

Simultaneously At the same time Following

Finally At last In the end

On (date) At (time) Directions

Timeline 1 2 3 4 5

Steps/Directions

Cycle/Circle

What sequence of events is being described?

What are the major events or incidents that occur?

What are the steps, directions, or procedures to follow? (What must be done first, second, etc.?)

What is the beginning event?

What other events or steps are included? What is the final outcome, event, or step?

Here is how a _________ is made. First,

_________. Next, ____________. Then,

______________. Finally, ____________.

On (date) _________ happened. Prior to that

_________ was ________. Then __________.

After that _____________. In the end,

____________________.

Compare and Contrast

The author explains how two or more

things are alike and/or how they are

different.

Differs from Similar to In contrast

Alike Same as As well as

On the other hand Both Either , or

Not only, but also Yet, although, but, However

On the other hand * Also look for “-

est” words: best, fewest, tallest, etc.

Venn Diagram

T-Chart

Alike Different

What items are being compared? What is it about them that is being

compared? What characteristics of items form the basis

of the comparison? What characteristics do they have in

common; how are these items alike? In what way are these items different?

_____________ and ___________ are alike in

several ways. Both ________ and __________

have similar ___________. Both also ________

as well as _________. On the other hand, one

way they differ is _________. Another

difference is ___________. Although they share

_____, only ____ is the _____-est.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

*All five text structures are tested on Kansas Reading Assessment C.Simoneau, K.Orcutt, T.Konrade © ESSDACK Side 2

Structure Description Signal Words Graphic Organizers Summary Questions Paragraph Frames

Cause

and

Effect

The author lists

one or more causes or events and the

resulting consequences or effects.

Effect = What happened?

Cause = What made it

happen? Purpose is to

explain why or how something happened,

exists, or works.

*Often there will be an “if/then” pattern

Reasons why

Reasons for If…then As a result of

Therefore Because of So

Since In order to Leads or leads to

Effects of Caused by Result

Outcome Impact Influenced by

Brought about by

Effect #1

Cause Effect #2

Effect #3

What happened?

Why did it happen? What was the reason for…?

What was the effect(s) of the event? What happened as a result of….?

What were the results or outcomes caused by the event?

In what ways did prior event(s) cause or influence the main event?

Will this result always happen from these causes?

The reason why ________ happened was

because of __________. If ________ hadn’t

happened, then _________. Due to _________

occurring, ______. This explains why _______.

The cause of ___________is not easy to define.

Some people think the cause is ____________.

Others believe the main cause is ___________.

Understanding the cause of _____________ is

important because _____________________.

The effects of ________ are significant because

_______. One effect of ______ is __________.

Another result is ________________________.

Because of these outcomes, it important that

________________________________.

Problem

and

Solution

The author states a problem and

lists one or more possible solutions to the

problem. May also

include the pros and cons for the solutions.

Problem is… Dilemma is… Puzzle is…

Solved Question Answer

Because Since This led to

The main difficulty One possible solution is… One challenge…

Therefore, This led to, so that If…then, thus

Fishbone

Problem Solutions

What is the problem(s)? Who had the problem?

What is causing the problem?

Why is this a problem? What is wrong and how can it be taken care

of? What solutions are recommended or attempted?

What can be improved, changed, fixed, or remedied?

What are the pros and cons of the solutions offered?

____________ had/is a problem because

________________. One possible solution is

____________. This answer is good because

____________. Therefore, _______________.

As a result, ____________.

The problem of __________ really boils down to

the issue of ______________. In the past, the

common solution was to_________________.

However, this was only effective in terms of

__________________. There are now

other solutions that might work. One option

would be to ______________________.

Problem

#2 Solution

Problem #2

Problem

#2

Cause #1

Cause #2

Cause #3

Effect

Text Structure Signal Questions & Signal Words

Shared by: Laurie Thisius, USD 268

Cause and

Effect

Compare

and

Contrast

Sequence

Problem

and

Solution

Description

Cause is why

something happened.

Effect is what

happened.

(Sometimes the

effect is listed

first.)

Shows how two or

more things are

alike and/or how

they are

different.

Describes items or

events in order or

tells the steps to

follow to do

something or make

something.

Tells about a

problem (and

sometimes says

why there is a

problem) then

gives one or more

possible solutions.

A topic, idea, person,

place, or thing is

described by listing

its features,

characteristics, or

examples.

Signal Questions

What happened?

Why did it happen?

What caused it to

happen?

What things are

being compared?

In what ways are

they alike? In what

ways are they

different?

What items,

events, or steps

are listed? Do they

have to happen in

this order? Do they

always happen in

this order?

What is the

problem? Why is

this a problem? Is

anything being done

to try to solve the

problem? What can

be done to solve

the problem?

What specific topic,

person, idea, or thing is

being described? How

is it being described

(what does it look like,

how does it work, what

does it do, etc.)? What

is important to

remember about it?

Signal Words

So

Because

Since

Therefore

If…then

This led to

Reason why

As a result

May be due to

Effect of

Consequently

For this reason

Same as

Similar

Alike

As well as

Not only…but also

Both

Instead of

Either…or

On the other hand

Different from

As opposed to

First

Second

Next

Then

Before

After

Finally

Following

Not long after

Now

Soon

Question is…

Dilemma is…

The puzzle is…

To solve this…

One answer is…

One reason for the

problem is…

For instance

Such as…

To begin with

An example

To illustrate

Characteristics

*Look for the topic

word (or a synonym or

pronoun) to be

repeated

Text Structure Foldable

Text Structure Foldable

Label outside tabs: • Description • Sequence • Compare & Contrast • Cause & Effect • Problem & Solution

Description

Sequence

Compare-Contrast

Cause- Effect

Problem-Solution

Label inside tabs: Left Side-

• Visuals only Right Side-

• Text Only

Teaching Text Structures

•  Show examples of paragraphs that correspond to each text structure

•  Present and model the use of graphic organizers for each structure

•  Explain that text structures can often be identified by certain clue or signal words

Compare and Contrast Venn Diagram:

Signal Words: alike, different, similar, same as, both, in contrast, differ

•  Kansas and Hawaii are similar in some ways. Both are states in which farming is a major industry. They are also different, however. Hawaii is a tropical island, while Kansas is landlocked in the middle of the country.

Example

Farming

Tropical

Landlocked

Example

Let’s Practice!

1.  Identify the text structure of the paragraph you are given

2.  Underline signal words and clues that helped you identify the text structure

3.  Create a graphic organizer on the back to visually representation the information in the paragraph

Example:

Wild chimpanzees are rapidly disappearing. Some people are trying to solve this problem. Otherwise, chimpanzees may one day exist only in zoos. People are trying to save the rain forests and woodlands where the chimps live from being cut down. It will take many people working together to solve this problem.

Signal Words: Wild chimpanzees are rapidly

disappearing. Some people are trying to solve this problem. Otherwise, chimpanzees may one day exist only in zoos. People are trying to save the rain forests and woodlands where the chimps live from being cut down. It will take many people working together to solve this problem.

Example: Create a Graphic Organizer

Text Structure: Problem and Solution:

Problem:

Chimps are rapidly disappearing

Solution:

Save the rain forests and woodlands

Solution:

Many people working together

Teaching Text Structures •  Have students sort a

variety of paragraphs from your content area by text structures –  Begin by sorting into

only one or two groups at a time; work up to all five

–  Use signal words to help determine structure

– Work in collaborative groups for this activity

Author’s Purpose & Text Structures

Pre and Post Reading Strategies: •  Make PREDICTIONS about author’s

purpose and main text structure before reading

•  Make CONNECTIONS between text structure and author’s purpose after reading – Focus on the BIG IDEAS – MODEL for students how to do this!

Predicting & Analyzing

• Feeling the Heat article

Summary Questions that correspond to text structures increase students’ understanding of content area passages.

Teaching Text Structures

Reading and Writing go hand-in-hand. Each one supports understanding of the other. Both increase understanding of content area texts.

Students should be WRITING in every class, using text structures as their organizational guide.

Paragraph Frames provide the structure to help students write summaries of their learning

Summarize Using Paragraph Frame

• Feeling the Heat article

Practice With a Partner

• Injuries article

Reading & Writing Connection

Paragraph Frames

•  With a partner, write one paragraph on the topic of VACATION for each of the five text structures. – Use the Paragraph Frames for guidance – Use appropriate signal words and underline

them in your paragraphs

Example

Description •  Many things must be taken care of to

get ready to go back to school. For example, one thing to do is prepare your classroom. Another is to organize your materials. The most important thing to do is be ready to go back to school is plan engaging lessons for students.

Text Structure Review (Article, Graphic Organizer, & Summary)

Form groups of 2-3: 1.  Read the article assigned to you. 2.  Determine the MAIN text structure. 3.  Create a graphic organizer using the

information from the article. 4.  Write a 4-6 sentence summary of the

article, using the appropriate paragraph frame for guidance. Underline the signal words.

Be prepared to share!

Probable Passages

Practice With a New Partner

1. Read article 2.  Identify the main text structure 3. Create a “Probable Passages”

activity to go with the article

Remember the GOAL!

•  Identifying text structure is NOT goal •  Goal is for students to internalize

knowledge about text structure and use it to enhance their comprehension

•  Teach students to use text structures to improve their reading comprehension and writing organization

Kristi Orcutt kristio@essdack.org

Text Structures - KEY IDEAS

• Predicting text structures is a PRE-reading strategy – Every time you put a text in front

of a student, you have the opportunity to teach text structure

Kristi Orcutt kristio@essdack.org

Text Structures - KEY IDEAS

•  Use WRITING to support reading (and reading to support writing) – Text Structure Frames

•  Make predictions and connections between text structure, author’s purpose, and main ideas – Focus on the BIG IDEAS; don’t get

caught up in the details

Text Structures - KEY IDEAS

Kristi Orcutt kristio@essdack.org

Remember the GOAL!

•  Identifying text structure is NOT goal •  Goal is for students to internalize

knowledge about text structure and use it to enhance their comprehension

•  Teach students to use text structures to improve their reading comprehension and writing organization

Narrative Text

“It is easy to teach literary terminology and devise quizzes on the terms, but to make the language of literature useful to readers, students need to practice using academic vocabulary in ways that deepen their understanding of how stories work.”

-Carol Jago

Comprehension Activity: Post It Notes

You will need FIVE of the Post-It Notes Label the Post-It Notes with the following terms – one term per Post-It

1.  Protagonist 2.  Antagonist 3.  Problem or conflict 4.  Climax 5.  Theme

Read “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros (or any other short story containing these elements)

As you read, place the Post-It Notes where you see the comprehension terms at play in the text.

Comprehension Activity: Post It Notes

On Your Own: As you read, place the Post-It Notes where you find evidence of

the comprehension terms in the text. In Groups of 2 or 3: Compare the location of your Post-It Notes.

–  Are all the Post-Its in the same place? Why or why not? –  Might there be more than one correct answer/place for the Post-It? –  As you discuss the story, feel free to move a Post-It if you change

your mind. Whole Class Debrief

–  Share and discuss answers/locations of Post-Its. –  Identify categories with more than one correct answer. –  Gather all evidence of locations where a theme is being discussed.

Work together to label the theme or themes present in the story.

Resources for Teaching Plot

Great PowerPoint available at: •  readwritethink.org

– “Teaching Plot Structure Through Short Stories”

– “Interactive Plot Diagram” • Using Picture Books to Teach Story Structure

Where can I find more resources?

http://literacyleader.com/

Make this school year the best ever!

It’s All About ATTITUDE!!

What will YOU do differently to support your students as readers?